Two-year wait for compensation for victims of domestic abuse

Two-year wait for compensation for victims of domestic abuse

It takes domestic violence victims nearly two years to receive compensation for the abuse they have suffered, according to new government figures.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) says it took an average of 612 days – around 20 months – for a pay-out from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA).

CICA is the government agency that compensates people who have been physically or mentally injured as blameless victims of violent crime. Its customer charter says applicants should expect to wait up to 12 months for payments.

Justice minister Phillip Lee said that more than 230 victims received compensation last year, and the minimum pay-out was £1,000.

The MoJ said that CICA had recruited more staff to help to improve the efficiency of the service last year.

The effectiveness of CICA was called into question in October when the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) claimed the authority was under resourced and didn’t provide effective reparation to those who have suffered sexual abuse.

APIL, a not-for-profit organisation, said CICA should work with the victim rather than raising barriers to compensation.

How can our Personal Injury Lawyers help?

The firm, which has offices in Ipswich, Hadleigh, Felixstowe, Woodbridge or Melton, is partnered with Ipswich charity Survivors in Transition (SiT) to help navigate victims through the process. SiT aims to empower survivors to take control of their lives and cope better with the daily effects the abuse has left them with.

Gotelee is also a proud member of the Association of Child Abuse Lawyers and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, boasting a team of experts, including doctors, counsellors, psychiatrists and specialist barristers.

For more or assistance on this matter, please contact Nadia Bolton on 01473 298125 or by email at nadia.bolton@gotelee.co.uk.

16/05/2019

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